National News

Police training building to be sold

A 402-year-old Grade-I listed building which has been used as a police training college for decades is to be sold and turned into a residential site.

The Home Office will sell its Bramshill House, which also includes a Grade-II listed park of medieval origins, to heritage property developers City and Country.

The Jacobean building was bought by the Government department in 1952 and developed into a national police training college.

The sale price will become public knowledge when the deal is completed and recorded at the Land Registry - but it was previously reported the property was up for more than £20 million.

A Home Office spokesman said: " We can confirm we have agreed to sell the Bramshill site to City and Country, part of the City and Country Group.

"Although Bramshill has a proud history of police leadership training, it is not sustainable. Its closure will save £5 million a year and is another example of how this government is delivering greater value for money for the taxpayer.

"City and Country has a proven track record for the successful restoration and conversion of listed properties of great historic interest to new uses and to a high standard.

"The company has committed to finding new uses for this historic building which would allow partial public access to the site to continue."

The Hampshire site is currently occupied by the College Of Policing, which will relocate by the end of March 2015. Bramshill is also home to the European Police College (Cepol), which all EU member states have agreed will relocate to Budapest to continue its work.

Contracts have been exchanged with City and Country, which intends to develop the site for residential use.

In 2011 the National Policing Improvement Agency (NPIA) was criticised for spending more than £18,000 of taxpayers' money on the mansion and its grounds, including £1,800 on a beehive and cultivator for the kitchen garden, and £147 on rhododendrons.

And in the previous year, the agency was reported to have spent £750,000 on restoring an ornamental bridge.

The NPIA also spent £2 million resurfacing a mile-long stretch of the drive and spent £31,000 on a black tie dinner for officers at Bramshill in September 2007.

A spokesman for City and Country said: " We are delighted to announce the acquisition of Bramshill, which is a truly magnificent building with a distinguished history and of immense aesthetic and social value.

"We believe that our expertise and strong track record in dealing with very precious nationally important heritage assets combined with our sympathetic understanding of the sensitive legacy issues associated with this disposal, were some of the deciding factors in being successful in making this acquisition.

"We relish the challenge of working with key stakeholders and the local community to find a viable, new and beneficial use for this wonderful estate for the benefit of current and future generations."

Comments

The Tories can proudly mark up another point in their determination to reduce our Police Force into something akin to the Boys Brigade. Already they have virtually destroyed almost every last vestige of the issues that make a disorganised, ineffective rabble into a professional Police Force. Since they came to power, the Tories who were once "the policemen's party" have become, hated and despised by them to a degree that would be hard to find in any other sphere. They do not have many soft spots for Labour, but when Labour get in at the next election, I would give them this word of advice. Do not set out, as the Tories did to insult, humiliate and take the gloves off with the Police. There are 130000 coppers - those are votes that the Tories have lost, Labour can win them over if they have a Home Secretary who treats the Police intelligently and fairly. First of all sack the Crime Commissioners, bring back "Police Authorities", stop the direct recruitment of senior officers and generally try to undo all the damage that the Tories have done to the Police.
Having got rid of the Police "Staff College", the question now is, where will it move to or do the Tories not intend to do any more senior officer training - nothing surprises me with Cameron and May - both are utter disasters.

The Tories can proudly mark up another point in their determination to reduce our Police Force into something akin to the Boys Brigade. Already they have virtually destroyed almost every last vestige of the issues that make a disorganised, ineffective rabble into a professional Police Force. Since they came to power, the Tories who were once "the policemen's party" have become, hated and despised by them to a degree that would be hard to find in any other sphere. They do not have many soft spots for Labour, but when Labour get in at the next election, I would give them this word of advice. Do not set out, as the Tories did to insult, humiliate and take the gloves off with the Police. There are 130000 coppers - those are votes that the Tories have lost, Labour can win them over if they have a Home Secretary who treats the Police intelligently and fairly. First of all sack the Crime Commissioners, bring back "Police Authorities", stop the direct recruitment of senior officers and generally try to undo all the damage that the Tories have done to the Police.
Having got rid of the Police "Staff College", the question now is, where will it move to or do the Tories not intend to do any more senior officer training - nothing surprises me with Cameron and May - both are utter disasters.Shropshirelad

The Tories can proudly mark up another point in their determination to reduce our Police Force into something akin to the Boys Brigade. Already they have virtually destroyed almost every last vestige of the issues that make a disorganised, ineffective rabble into a professional Police Force. Since they came to power, the Tories who were once "the policemen's party" have become, hated and despised by them to a degree that would be hard to find in any other sphere. They do not have many soft spots for Labour, but when Labour get in at the next election, I would give them this word of advice. Do not set out, as the Tories did to insult, humiliate and take the gloves off with the Police. There are 130000 coppers - those are votes that the Tories have lost, Labour can win them over if they have a Home Secretary who treats the Police intelligently and fairly. First of all sack the Crime Commissioners, bring back "Police Authorities", stop the direct recruitment of senior officers and generally try to undo all the damage that the Tories have done to the Police.
Having got rid of the Police "Staff College", the question now is, where will it move to or do the Tories not intend to do any more senior officer training - nothing surprises me with Cameron and May - both are utter disasters.

Score: 1

ian923
12:01pm Thu 28 Aug 14

The NPIA (National Police Improvement Agency) was disbanded because they were useless and irresponsible as demonstrated above. They were led by a character called Gargan who then went into the CC,s job at Avon and Somerset and is now suspended pending outcome of investigations of a sexual nature.The NPIA really was a job for the boys. The College was full of academic types posing as police officers but who had no desire to get involved in nasty policing.took the soft option, and will be no great loss apart from the attraction of overseas officers paying large fees for Courses there.The new College has been trawling for ages for things to do to justify their existence. e.g. keep a Register of qualified detectives, produce a Code of Ethics. etc. all things the world could not do without.!

The NPIA (National Police Improvement Agency) was disbanded because they were useless and irresponsible as demonstrated above. They were led by a character called Gargan who then went into the CC,s job at Avon and Somerset and is now suspended pending outcome of investigations of a sexual nature.The NPIA really was a job for the boys. The College was full of academic types posing as police officers but who had no desire to get involved in nasty policing.took the soft option, and will be no great loss apart from the attraction of overseas officers paying large fees for Courses there.The new College has been trawling for ages for things to do to justify their existence. e.g. keep a Register of qualified detectives, produce a Code of Ethics. etc. all things the world could not do without.!ian923

The NPIA (National Police Improvement Agency) was disbanded because they were useless and irresponsible as demonstrated above. They were led by a character called Gargan who then went into the CC,s job at Avon and Somerset and is now suspended pending outcome of investigations of a sexual nature.The NPIA really was a job for the boys. The College was full of academic types posing as police officers but who had no desire to get involved in nasty policing.took the soft option, and will be no great loss apart from the attraction of overseas officers paying large fees for Courses there.The new College has been trawling for ages for things to do to justify their existence. e.g. keep a Register of qualified detectives, produce a Code of Ethics. etc. all things the world could not do without.!

Score: 1

Shropshirelad
7:43pm Thu 28 Aug 14

Yes, I agree with much of what you say ian923, particularly with regard to the academics and soft options. The Police Force now is in a sorry mess, 99% of it brought about by Cameron and May. But given a root and branch "sort out" by hard-bitten, highly experienced senior coppers, the College, it's buildings and facilities could have been made to work. But May of course say's "don't mind the cost. don't mind the disruption and upset, I want a civilian Police Force with senior "managers" trained along the philosophies and commercial practices of Marks and Spencers. They don't have to know about investigating murders as long as they know how much a tin of baked beans in the canteen costs.

Yes, I agree with much of what you say ian923, particularly with regard to the academics and soft options. The Police Force now is in a sorry mess, 99% of it brought about by Cameron and May. But given a root and branch "sort out" by hard-bitten, highly experienced senior coppers, the College, it's buildings and facilities could have been made to work. But May of course say's "don't mind the cost. don't mind the disruption and upset, I want a civilian Police Force with senior "managers" trained along the philosophies and commercial practices of Marks and Spencers. They don't have to know about investigating murders as long as they know how much a tin of baked beans in the canteen costs.Shropshirelad

Yes, I agree with much of what you say ian923, particularly with regard to the academics and soft options. The Police Force now is in a sorry mess, 99% of it brought about by Cameron and May. But given a root and branch "sort out" by hard-bitten, highly experienced senior coppers, the College, it's buildings and facilities could have been made to work. But May of course say's "don't mind the cost. don't mind the disruption and upset, I want a civilian Police Force with senior "managers" trained along the philosophies and commercial practices of Marks and Spencers. They don't have to know about investigating murders as long as they know how much a tin of baked beans in the canteen costs.

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